How to Set Up Amazon Inspector from the AWS Console

Amazon Inspector is an AWS managed vulnerability scanning service that helps you continuously identify security issues in your cloud workloads. Setting up Amazon Inspector from the AWS Console is simple, safe, and non-disruptive, making it suitable even for production environments.

• Automatically discover vulnerabilities in EC2 instances, container images, and Lambda functions
  
• Prioritize security risks using severity levels
  
• Continuously monitor workloads as they change.
  
  Prerequisites
• Before you begin, ensure the following:
• You have access to the AWS Management Console
• Your IAM user or role has one of these permissions:
  • AmazonInspector2FullAccess, or
  • AdministratorAccess
• You know which AWS regions you want to enable scanning in
• (Inspector is region-specific)

Open Amazon Inspector

1. Log in to the AWS Management Console
2. Use the top search bar and type Inspector
3. Select Amazon Inspector from the results

Choose the correct AWS region from the top-right corner

Please note that Amazon Inspector must be enabled separately in each region.

Enable Amazon Inspector

1. On the Inspector landing page, click Enable Amazon Inspector
2. Choose the resource types you want to scan:
   • EC2 instances
   • ECR container images
   • Lambda functions
3. Click Enable

This process is fully managed by AWS. You do not need to install agents, update AMIs, or modify application code.

Automatic Resource Discovery

Once Inspector is enabled, it automatically starts discovering and scanning resources:

• EC2 instances
    Inspected for OS-level and package vulnerabilities
• ECR repositories
    Images are scanned automatically when pushed
• Lambda functions
  Code and dependencies are scanned on deployment

You do not need to:

• Restart instances
• Manually trigger scans
• Configure cron jobs or schedules

Inspector continuously rescans resources when:

• New CVEs are published
• Resources are updated or redeployed

 View and Analyze Findings

1. Click Findings in the Inspector console
2. Each finding includes:
   • CVE or vulnerability name
   • Severity (Critical / High / Medium / Low)
   • Affected resource (EC2, ECR, Lambda)
   • Recommended remediation steps

You can filter findings by:

• Resource type
• Severity level
• AWS account
• Region

This helps teams focus on the most critical risks first.

Conclusion

Amazon Inspector provides an easy and effective way to improve your AWS security posture. With minimal setup and no manual intervention, it continuously scans your workloads, highlights vulnerabilities, and helps you prioritize remediation.

By enabling Amazon Inspector, you gain:

• Continuous visibility into security risks
• Automated vulnerability detection
• Better alignment with AWS security best practices

It’s a strong foundation for any AWS security or DevSecOps strategy.

Need expert help setting up Amazon Inspector from the AWS Console? Our AWS Management Services ensure secure, accurate configuration and ongoing protection—contact us today for reliable AWS security support.